Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Cham)
Asian Condiments Vegetables Sauces and Salsa
Nuoc Cham is a Vietnamese sweet and sour but also spicy sauce, practically we have all the flavors in one little bowl. It is used as a dressing for Vietnamese salads, but also as a dip for spring rolls, grilled meat or crispy wings. The main ingredient of this condiment is fish sauce (nuoc mam) which is obtained by fermenting fish in brine for 6 months. Fish sauce represents for Vietnamese cuisine the equivalent of soy sauce in Chinese cuisine.
It is said that Nuoc Cham is well prepared if the garlic and hot pepper float on top. And in Vietnam, when girls get married, to receive the mother-in-law's approval, they must prepare this sauce in front of her.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons lemon/lime juice
2 tablespoons water
2 red hot peppers (if using dried, hydrate them first in a little warm water)
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons fish sauce
a few carrot slices (optional)
How to prepare vietnamese dipping sauce (nuoc cham)
- Mix the lemon juice, water and sugar and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
* you can taste now to balance the sweet-sour taste to your liking; maybe it needs to be a little more sour, maybe you want it a little sweeter... - Press the hot peppers and garlic through a garlic press, add a little salt and crush everything until you get a paste. Add the paste and fish sauce to the sauce above. Mix well.
* taste the sauce and balance the salty taste (from the fish sauce) to your own taste; add more if necessary - Add the carrots cut into fine matchsticks and let the sauce sit for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend.
- Keeps in the refrigerator for 1 week.
